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My Daughter is 12, and she keeps buying books for readers aged 6-8. She is perfectly capable of reading books for her age and over.
Is there a way to limit Amazon purchases to books for 12 years and over ?
Daughter Keeps Buying Books on Amazon for Lower Age than She Is
cameldownunder on 15/07/2022 - 22:51
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I totally agree. The fact she is even buying books over being on Tiktok or other social platforms with a massive win.
Do no discourage this at the moment.
Plot twist.
OP's daughter is making Tiktok videos using books (for 6-8 year olds) as content.
ASMR
Or OP's daughter has ambitions to be a writer of children's books.
I might not have formulated that correctly
"She is perfectly capable of reading books for her age and over"
I think in her Natplan, the reading and comprehension put her inthe 13-14 year old bracket.Then what is the problem? She is capable beyond her years so there is no problem with her.
You probably want her to move up to the14-15-16 year old bracket but that's what you want. She just want to read something she enjoys. Perhaps that's something she is missing.
you seem to put all your faith in standards - she isn't a machine.
Don't be a control freak, the more strict you are at home, the more shit she's going to get into when she's not home
I think you meant “Naplan” rather than “Natplan”, although I know MANY teachers who think it’s more of a “Gnatplan”. It was NEVER meant to be competitive originally, but of course, it became competitive so it’s lost it’s validity and usefulness.
i think i used to do this, around the same age, its hard to describe, some if it is sort of being hard to let go of childhood interests and not being into more teen things, imagination-wise if that makes sense.
some of it is just still liking stuff i used to read or i had already read the other stuff for older kids. It may also just be the physical format is nicer for the younger kids,ie the font less tiring on the eyes.
the librarian used to help me get on to new material, maybe you should read stuff for her age and introduce it to her or more seriously look for a reading club?And yet I still love watching the simposons and Rick and north …./
why are you buying books??? you aint got a library card??? libby lets you get digital library books for free, just like amazon but free!!!!
Those "reading age of X" things mean little when it comes to what she might like to read. My parents were always told I had an advanced reading age and they couldn't give two hoots what I read. What really sticks out in my memory was being taken to a big book shop and mum and dad buying whatever books I wanted (usually 2 or 3). It felt great that they'd go out of the way to support and encourage me reading, though at the time I probably didn't realise that's what they were doing. If she gets the chance to actually see what's available, rather than following the "Amazon recommends…" links, then her taste might broaden or shift.
Also, perhaps she's got hooked on a particular series of books. That's a big market these days (always has been really). Finishing all the books in a series can be a big driver.
Why not go to the library and let her choose her own books?
This is an underrated comment for sure. The library is an excellent place and this way the daughter can make more informed decisions before committing to a book or commit to several at once. And it’s probably completely free!
Yep. I take my five year old to the library every week or two and he gets to choose the books he's interested in. It also saves the environmental waste of owning lots of books and is free as you said.
This was a wild ride, have you thought of becoming an author?
I did, and I trained hard, to become an OZB commentator! I hope it went so well that I don't need a /s
This started funny, then got really inappropriate for the forum
Same for OP.
Thanks, plenty of suggestion make sense. Some are bit tough though, but surely appreciated.
I shower her in cold water if she refuses to turn the lights off, and if she does not like the dinner, she gets locked in her room with water and dry bread.
God blesses the righteous. </sarcasm>I admit I am a bit of a control freak. Dont mind the occasional 8-12 book, bot not if they are the only one's.
Just beware, if you try to force it, she may drop reading altogether. I would just ask her why she likes the books. It could be bigger font, shorter stories or pictures, etc. With this understanding, then you could try to find reading glasses, shorter books or graphic novels.
You should probably hold a meeting with her violin teacher and athletics coach. There is no way she'll make the next Olympics if this is her attitude to reading.
Are we talking tangible books or audible books?
First, stop allowing your child to make purchases on the internet without your consent. They're 12.
Second, take control of the reading material. Consult their teacher and school librarian to see what they are (or sometimes arent) reading at school
It could be that they need some down time and reading has become a chore. If so, consider audio books and graphic novels.
It could be they are not being suitably extended at school. Many schools have a bad habit of thinking 'all reading is good reading' - this sees 16 yr old boys race for the Guinness Book of Records and point at pictures instead of picking up a novel.
If this is the case, you need to do some dictating. Discuss their interests. It might be that they are not interested in the romantic content that comes in YA fiction, especially aimed at girls. There are many alternatives in classical literature suitable for young readers.
Everyone has a different approach but for me learning to save should happen early with spending under close guidance - and they get to manage their own money once they start earning their own money.
Maybe she can learn to manage the shopping when she has to use her own cash. I'm not sure what lesson is being learnt here other than shopping is free.
I agree with the other comments. We want our kids to be independent, but at the same time they need to be responsible with the money. If my 13 years old wants to read a specific book, he has to first check if its available in our local library or school library. If not, I purchase the book for him.
I'm curious, how do you have the account set up?
Does she have access to your account or have you set one up for her with a gift card balance?
Can't tell if your trolling or not.
Isn't life a struggle ?
For your daughter? Yes.
Looking at the list makes me think people really need a competency test to reproduce
Not trolling. Just a teacher that sees children frequently reach for lower level texts not because they are incapable of reading higher but for the reasons stated above - stress or lack of extension.
This parent should be congratulated for caring enough to notice and wanting to do something about it. But the answer is not letting the child simply do what they want. If we did that, children wouldn't progress in literacy without intrinsic motivation and I can tell you there's hardly much of that in middle school.
The best people to help aren't strangers on a forum but the classroom teacher or school librarian. Or, failing that should they be contributing to the problem, the local public library.
Let me be blunt then, if helpful isn't what you're after - be an adult, change the password and stop letting your child shop online.
There. Simple.
"Is there a way to limit Amazon purchases to books for 12 years and over ?"
It’s a solution to something deeper than the surface level problem you’ve told us.
My vibe is, being a prescriptive parent isn’t necessary the way to deal with struggles.
Then let us be quite clear:
Of course there isn't. What a ridiculous question. Why on earth would Amazon implement such a feature?
Pay attention to the good advice given by many commenters that can solve the various root causes behind you asking a question that no sensible parent would ask: not paying enough attention to your child to understand their taste in books, not earning their trust and communication enough to just discuss it with her, and allowing a child to buy whatever they want on Amazon (most kids would be buying stuff they are far to young for. Despite your carelessness, you got lucky there).
Very poor trolling but trolling nonetheless
Let her read what she wants. A good way to stop her reading at all is to prevent her from accessing books she likes.
Don't stop her from reading what she wants, plenty of adults still read Young Adult books, which I personally think is pretty sad but people should enjoy what they want, it's better than reading nothing. Try to get her into other books too. You can never have too many books in your life. Maybe she likes certain stories or whatever in these younger books that might also be available in older books, but she just doesn't know about them yet.
There's nothing wrong with adults reading YA as, complexity wise in terms of sentence structure, plots, themes, narrative, speech etc, it's the same as adult literature. Just the topics/themes and the length are different.
However, this child is preferring 6-8 aged books which is a problem. Complexity just isnt there. Language depth isn't there.
https://getyourbookillustrations.com/understanding-childrens…
I mean heck, the fact that his kid is reading at all is something to be applauded in this day and age. Damn youths with their TikToks and their Bitcoin and their video games…
I personally can go from an R rated drama to an all ages/young adult story like Avatar The Last Airbender no problem, it just depends on whether the quality is decent. The only real difference is lack of sexuality and gore which are deemed mature, and frankly I find stuff like Mark Hamill's abusive character burning and disfiguring his crying son more mature and challenging than a lot of stuff in supposed adult media. It's been like 14 years since I saw that episode and the son's scream still echoes in my head. Age ratings are kind of arbitrary and rubbish, more worried about puritanism than anything else it seems.
Who lets a 12 year old loose on Amazon to purchase things willy nilly?
People who aren't smart enough to figure out parental controls on iOS.
Great point. Letting a 12 yo loose on the internet but wants to control the books the same 12 yo buys. /facepalm.
Just be happy that she wasn't buying "books" for for 18+ yo. :D
You are aware that I see all her purchases ( of books ) ? And it's not Amazon, it's Amazon Kindle ( Books )
I stated early to out kids that I'll always will pay for books.
but the library!!! the library buys the books.
Age specific books OP mentioned are pretty much educational. Just remember there are other books for all ages for leisure. As long as she is capable and keeping up with her school "readings" just let her enjoy other books that she chooses.
Get her to read. Forrest gump. Of mice and men. And what's eating Gilbert grape
A little bit of Lord of the Flies wouldn't go astray either.
And Atlas Shrugged. Everyone I've ever met who mentions (constantly) that they've read that book has totally turned into well-rounded and functional human beings capable of nuanced thought and decent conduct in public.
Sorry I negged you, it took me a while to detect the sarcasm.
Why do you care ? Let her read whatever she wants, just because a book has an age group attached to it, doesn't mean older or younger people cannot read said book.
This is a non issue.
Is there a way to limit Amazon purchases to books for 12 years and over ?
I think the fact that you let your 12yo have unlimited purchasing power on amazon is more of an issue.
12yo reading 6yo level books is a bit like adults watching cartoons. Not everything has to be serious and heavy. Let them enjoy and be happy they are reading rather than TV watching.
Adults watching cartoons, on their own, is a bit of a worry in my opinion.
There are many adult cartoons around. But it was an example.
Sure replace cartoons with kids movies then……Surely you do that with your child?
Part that you should read "on their own"
Of course I do watch cartoons with my kids
Part that you should read "on their own"
The part that you should read then is "There are many adult cartoons around".
Nothing wrong with watching them on their own.
I don't think so at all. We all have different definitions of fun/different interests. And we all want different things from our entertainment.
Some even hitting their heads with a hammer, or sniffing glue, or speeding, or base-jumping, or Smoking dope …… Seems lot of them here
You mean like adults watching bluey?
Wtf wrong with you…
I see 0 issue with adults watching cartoons and reading manga.
But I do see an issue with adults who don't watch news and care about political stuff. /sarcasm
No news is good news
The secret garden is a six year old suggested book. It's 300 pages.
As a young'un I read then and still do very complex technical manuals. I also read then and now; comics.
The different age levels or content is not so much an issue, as but why is a child accessing online purchases without parental guidance or some form of oversight.
Speak to your child - why does she need to want to buy and read these age bracket books while also speaking with her teachers. Perhaps engage some stronger parental fiscal and online supervision if and when required, more so than you have done so now.
With guidance, learning fiscal matters at 12 yrs is a wonderful thing…but potential for abuse/debt is in the wind.
without parental guidance or some form of oversight.
There is. I can see all her purchases. That is how I did see she buys books for 6-8 year old
Is this actually a problem? Are you worried she will become a perma-child that spends her time collecting Lego and posting on OzBargain…
/sI am old but continue buying pop culture T-shirts like a teenager.
Maybe gift her a graphic novel or "comics" like TinTin?I'm an adult and I enjoy watching Bluey on iView. Doesn't mean that I can't reed or spel. If your daughter is doing well at school then so what if she enjoys lower age stuff.
Well, that settles one thing.. you can’t spell 😂😂
As a child that loved reading certain genres only, it can be tricky to expand or just find new authors or books that appeal. I'd introduce her to Goodreads or What should I read next?, Whichbook or similar. It'll help give inspiration within a genre, if that's part of the cause. But honestly, the fact that they're enjoying reading is the basis for a lifelong love, so tread carefully and do not control it. Maybe you could find a similar genre book and get it as a gift, on top of what she reads. Introduce, don't control. Also library visits. If you're buying books, you probably won't go for anything you're not 100% sure of but borrowing books means you can explore different options without the financial impact.
Social pressure is the best motivator.
Ask what her friends are reading or cousind
On the alternate, I wonder what you would do if you saw your daughter reading the opposite- books that are too advance and inappropriate for her age, for example let's say romance or erotica novels? I would suggest what you would do in the situation could probably be applied in this one?
I would figure out what she's reading and why- is it the themes in the books that she's drawn to? If so find similar books in the correct age frame and buy them for her and not let her buy her own books?
I think some level of autonomy is important for kids at that age but not fully, but this seems like a really good opportunity to be able to figure out what her interests are!
I know it's Ozbargain but you don't need to save money by making your children purchase longer, age appropriate (or older?) books. Be happy you have a child who is interested in reading anything at all.
She’s reading. That’s pretty much enough these days. The alternative is she stops reading if you become the helicopter parent.
This is a great opportunity for her to progress/grow as her interest dictates. It’s not like she’s falling behind in school because of her free time reading choices.
Has anyone posted the ever-relevant C. S. Lewis quote yet? It's a pretty redditbrained thing to do so hopefully you won't all hold it against me, but here we go:
When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.
t. C. S. Lewis
Came in here looking for this quote
Went down the rabbit hole of reading about him. He died on the same day as JFK was assassinated and Aldous Huxley died. His obit must have been a couple of paragraphs.
Get her signed up to your local library then she can try a bunch of different books and it won’t cost you anything.
Maybe talk to her about why she prefers the younger books. There may be themes in the older age group that are difficult for her to deal with. I love Terry Pratchett’s books, including the young adult ones, but the young adult ones can be quite difficult as they don’t flinch from human cruelty. She is coming into puberty and might be concerned about the changes that are happening and seeking comfort in the familiar. She might just like fart jokes.
Don’t put her off by forcing her to read what she doesn’t want to. Don’t be judgemental; just have a low key talk.
Are you sure you are not violating Amazon T&C by letting your kid buy things from Amazon by herself?
Do you work for Amazon or something? Why would that be what you care about here?
There is a reason why most online shops dont allow minors to buy things by themselves.
And if the T&C does not allow it, then OP question is moot. Why would Amazon even consider a feature to limit purchases by age? The answer is an obvious big NO.
Sign her up to the library, I think you can borrow like 12-30 books at a time now. There's even "online libraries" where you just need a library card to download books. Then you don't need to pay for books.
What is the purpose of forcing her to advance her 'reading age'?
Writing things that can be understood by any audience is a lot more valuable in today's society than being able to quote famous poets and authors. You either come across as an annoying w**ker, or you won't be understood at all.
I can assure you that your dismissive attitude towards literature, and your total absence of understanding about how important it has been for the development of the human mind—and consequently society—means that you will forever be living in the allegorical cave.
The purpose of advancing one's reading age is to develop their capacity to understand complex ideas. You can't have complex ideas if you can't even read and understand them. Australia's literacy levels are in freefall, with something like 1-2 percent of adults being considered fully literate within the OECD framework.
With the exception of (most) tech millionaires, I can assure you that many of the most wealthy and influential people CAN quote famous poets and authors.
The human experience has the capacity to be so much more extreme than what most of us might experience in the modern/information era. Your advice is akin to saying 'no point watching the Olympics because you'll never go yourself', 'no point looking at the stars because you're never going to space'.
A far better response than my snarky comment warranted.
Australia's literacy levels are in freefall, with something like 1-2 percent of adults being considered fully literate within the OECD framework.
That is far worse than I expected!
(Sincerely) thanks.
Haha sorry for overkill in comment, had a long day and it was far too late for me to be online. You're absolutely right though, it's about writing and communicating effectively.
In most cases, we don't have access to effective language teachers or mentors, but much of our ability to use language is absorbed subconsciously anyway. It's not to say learning grammar is not important, but once you know how the rules working, reading widely shows us how to use the rules effectively.
A concrete example is that much poetry is written in iambic pentameter, and the best speakers will adopt this where possible into their rhetoric and public speech.
Why not just let her read what she wants to read, or restrict Amazon and maker her use a library instead….?
I bought a Dr Seuss book and believe it or not, I'm not 4-7 years old.
notsureifsrs
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Let her read what she is interested it.
Have you tried having a conversation to her to understand her purchase decision?
Books for 12 usually have more complex and deeper stories, unlike 6-8 age books… it may not be so obvious to pick the right type of book.
If you know what genre she likes, find some books for her and give her the choice to pick one to see if she is interested.
I think it's quite annoying if you start reading a 100-200 page book (12 age group) to find you don't like it…
EDIT: What age group does she read "normally"? Maybe tell us that 1st… or she wants a break from long stories, since you mention she is capable to read her age or above.